


Defensive

by Valkyrja_Cain



Series: Tenno Timelines; Sin'drion [2]
Category: Warframe
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:47:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28344894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valkyrja_Cain/pseuds/Valkyrja_Cain
Summary: Called in for a close by high priority defense mission, Sin'drion meets another tenno. And proceeds to shake the foundation of their understanding of the frames they operate.
Series: Tenno Timelines; Sin'drion [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2066823
Kudos: 4





	Defensive

**Author's Note:**

> Tal's not mine. Cleaned up the rp a smidge, but this was written in a small time frame & then gently edited by me for better cohesion. Technically unbeta'd. oops.

Ceres is awful. The old Orokin terraforming had made it habitable, if only barely. Sin'drion had only just returned from a small excursion collecting plant samples for her foundry when the Lotus' alert pops up. Cephalon Shell pipes up, interrupting the Tenno at the foundry with an excited trill. She sets down the scraps of somatic filament from the nerve trees and the small rubedo blade with a sigh. Two quick gestures, and the hovering pink form of the Cephalon's projection practically vibrates with excitement.

  
"Operator! A new alert has reached us. The Lotus has received word of a cryopod, in need of protection of course, on Ceres." She huffs a sigh. She was hardly ever in the right place at the right time to actually take these missions- usually a squad was filled based on proximity to the mission. These were always high profile, important missions that sprung up quickly. They were absolutely reliant on the Tenno nearest being able to get there, secure the objective, and protect it until an extraction crew arrived. She bods as the Cephalon continues. "Proximity of other squads is low. Priority is high, target has been pinpointed in a Grineer base. Nearing transport. Potentially lost if-" Sin'drion fades into the void with a single step backwards. She lands in the somatic pod, and her consciousness seeps into Dakkai like waking up.The Orokin era Nekros, shades of smoke and charcoal, edged in silver, and bound with the customary Thanatos bindings, rises and stretches from the couch he had been on lounging on in the living quarters of the orbiter. 'We going on that thing Shell was yelling about?'

  
He nods, knowing it was her action in the pod that moved him.

  
The liset shifts, imperceptible to them both, as it glides towards the drop point. A short ten standard minutes pass, during which the frame gathers his weapons. They both favor the Rubico, but for a defense mission a Tigris will have to do. The hefty shotgun gets holstered to his back, along with a full set of Kunai to each leg. They both pause and ponder the walls of the arsenal. The nikana was a standard choice, their preferred one, even. A few more moments of silent contemplation are broken by the Cephalon popping up near them. "Arrival imminent, Operator! Preparing for drop." Dakkai nods, finally collecting the nikana and strapping the sheathe over his other shoulder.

  
Moving as one, they stop in front of navigation. The liset comes free of the rest of their orbiter, taking off to move them over their actual drop site. As they drop from the landing craft, which quickly takes off to return to their orbiter, the Cephalon gives them a cheery good luck. "Looks like you have an ally. Knock 'em dead, operator!"

  
The Nekros comes to a casualstop, rain slamming down around them. It sounds like distant gunfire, the way the rain slams into the heavy metal catwalk they're on. It's almost a comforting sound, the rain, tugging at some distant childhood memory that curls through them both. She, and Nekros, shake their head to push the thought away. Is their squadmate here? They're unsure, but Sin'drion's vision flickers as her Cephalon gets her an overlay of the area displayed across the inner screen of the pod. Their target for defense is marked, and it's only from her own self control that she prevents Dakkai from rushing off towards the objective.  
' _Come on, we can handle it till they show!_ ' 

  
Her clipped ' _No,_ ' just makes him huff inside her head. They both tilt their heads, the same motion as someone rolling their eyes.

* * *

_Fifty-seven._

  
Three rounds echo off of the corridor's walls. A trooper fell slumped against a wall.

  
_Fifty-eight_

  
He made his way through the Grineer base, clearing it section by section. He was here on an extermination contract. Seems the Corpus had set their sights on something here, and wanted the place cleared out before they arrived. 

Though, the Lotus had other plans for how this day would go. Cephalon Bhett's voice reached Talthen in its usual trill. "Oh, Operator! The Lotus has broadcast an alert! It's for a base here on Ceres! You're so close! Why don't you just hop over? Hmm? I'm sure your archwing can get you there without any problems. I'll have it deployed at once. And do not worry about munitions. I'll include some in the drop! You don't have to thank me."

The Rhino looked further down the corridor, wondering about the current mission, and took a second to look at the near empty boltor in its hands. Through the sturdy frame, Talthen sighed and slumped his shoulders. He knew the alerts took higher priority, and he would heed this one as was needed. He turned and began a sprint for the exit, voicing questions as he ran. "Bhett, I'm accepting the mission. Count the current one as aborted. What is the objective? Are there any others that have received the transmission and responded?"

The rain crashed against molded infested flesh as he burst through a set of doors to a landing pad. "Of course, Operator! The mission involves the location and defense of a cryopod. Your favorite. The Grineer seem ready to ship it away. We must not let that happen! Another Tenno has been hailed, and we are awaiting confirmation. But of course they'll accept. It is from the Lotus after all."

Wings and thrusters snapped into place on his frame's back, as he took a step off the edge of the platform. He grunted an acknowledgement. The slingshot made quick work of the distance. It was not long until he found himself on another Grineer base so similar to the first.

The Nekros is midway through a shaky solstice narta upon the arrival of their squadmate. The lack of notice from their Cephalon implies this will likely be their only squadmate. Sin'drion gives her ally a cursory once over, confirming her usual role as a support fighter. Dakkai's shadows would likely be enough to cover for the lack of the rest of a squad. They finish off the narta, and then return their listing pose. The frame is canted sideways, stuttering and shifting aimlessly as they wait for their ally to properly land. Dakkai's head remains tilted as he attempts to straighten and offer a simple bow as greeting. His voice is deep, a thick rasp coating the words. "Shall we?"

Archwing parts fall away as the Rhino steps closer. He reloads his Lex and re-holsters it on his leg. His now empty hand turns palm up and slides across in front. He bows slightly to finish the greeting. He stands upright, taking in the Nekros before him. A shiver runs down Talthen's spine where he sat in his somatic pod. The shadows that frame summons always managed to creep him out, but he was honestly just happy to have another person in his squad for this. His voice left the Rhino's maw with a reverberation, as if spoken from the back of a cave. "We shall. Operator Talthen. Defense Specialist."

They tilt their head, the motion smooth if not for the way the frame seems to shudder and shift and twitch. That same voice rasps out something akin to a chuckle. "Operator Sin'drion," The glottal stop is clear in how the Nekros pauses between the syllables. "Artifact and target acquisitions, support." Dakkai speaks for her, not that anyone would know. A Rhino was a lot of utility, perfect for this kind of mission. She knows better than to underestimate the enemy and assume this would be easy, but she wasn't actually _worried_ about the outcome at all.

The frame gives one last stretch and unholsters the heavy plated shotgun from their back before righting themself. He seems to list to the right as they make for the cryopod, continually having to correct his trajectory as they go. The few Grineer they pass by are easily slugged down, and the ghostly impression of shadows rise from the bodies as they travel. Alarms light up as they near the loading area.

The Rhino runs abreast the Nekros, his Boltor at a low ready jerking up to let off a staccato of three rounds into any Grineer that was lucky enough to evade the Tigris slugs. Five rounds were spent on a particularly lively Arctic Eximus they had run into earlier into their mission. The Rhino would have huffed at the waste, but would otherwise stay silent. As they enter, Talthen immediately begins looking around for entry points the Grineer could use, and more importantly points of egress for after the mission is completed. Cephalon Bhett was indeed paying attention, so far as to quip in Talthen's ear every time Sin'drion's shots found their mark before his could. He stooped to collect one of the pressurized barrels and began walking towards the door. 

The pod, along with various materials in crates and pressurized barrels, is under a heavy metal canopy. The 'room' is large, open to the sky on the far side; A small transport ship could easily land to be loaded with cargo before taking off. Nekros pauses before going through the door, fitting his Tigris with two more slugs before the barrels snap up to blast a unlucky bombard in the chest. Blood and clone chunks coat the doorframe in thick chunks. "Call in our extraction team," He says aloud, much to the joy of Cephalom Shell. "Target in sight." More alarms go off. Both HUDs get an updated timer for the arrival of the lander as Sin'drion's Cephalon relays the information from their eventual extraction squad.

Talthen's voice calls out above the blaring sirens, "Ten minutes. I'm setting these as barricades and explosive deterrents. Should last a minute or two." He places the barrel down just beyond the door and returns for another.

Dakkai spares the motion a glance, and then a short, "Got it." He would normally offer to help, but the slighter frame's carapace was cracked and riddled with seals already. Instead, the frame focused on slinging Kunai into oncoming foes, covering the Rhino's efforts. His chattering cackle mixes with the thundering rain and distant gunfire. It turns into a breathy howl as he claws at the air. Shadows roil and rise from the few bodies that lay split and bloody around their objective. The shadows phase through the barriers, lurching down the hallways they came from towards to soak incoming fire. "So," He starts, reloading the Tigris as he follows beside Talthen, "Come here often?"

Talthen finally sets the last barrel. The barricade was about as tall as a standard Grineer. He stepped off to the side where a panel for the door blinked lazily. With a few taps he closes it part way and locks it in place. There is a foot wide horizontal opening that shows the backside of the barricade and glimpses of shadows and soldiers. He looks to the slender frame, his own cocking its head to the side. "No. But I have run similar missions often enough to pick up a few tricks." His hand extends, indicating the barricade.

Dakkai huffs, but it sounds more like a rattling body breathing its last. "It was a joke," He says, sounding almost disappointed. "But I guess that makes sense." The frame turns, moving back towards their target. He looks down, peering through the glass and then harrumphs. Not even a frame, and certainly not a void sibling. Just someone in cryo, likely for transport and got passed to the wrong hands via unfortunate happenstance. Must be a bargaining chip for the Lotus to wrangle some information from a syndicate or something. Who knows. Sin'drion has never fully trusted the Lotus, or Margulis, but she has no personal investment in these missions past getting paid. Or helping her void siblings. 

They knew the Grineer generally weren't smart, but only having a single main route towards a loading bay... It was small, sure. It was also decently hidden, likely for more discreet shipments, but it didn't seem right. As if to give the thought the middle finger, an elevator at the far side of the bay raises up. There's a whole squad that charges forward as the platform comes to a stop.

The clatter of boots along the metal floor spills into the room, as does a hail of bullets. A peppering of shots light up Talthen's backside, his shielding taking the brunt of the damage. With a pained growl, he rapidly turns on his heel and drops to a knee. The Boltor levels at the advancing squad. The muzzle flashes, a continuous pulsation directed towards the elevator. Grineer fall to bolt and slug alike, pinned to the walls or painted across them.

Dakkai howls again, rushing forward with a bloodthirsty glee. His unnatural gait causes the Grineer's shots to mostly miss. The Tigris had been dropped at the sight of the incoming squad, and as he meets them, the bright slash of a his nikana cleaves those who manage to avoid the Rhino's bullets. 

Energy pulses a thick colorless gray, and sheds outward in a wave. The few who had managed to avoid gun and blade panic. Artificial fear clouds their minds and vision, leaving them frantic and scurrying randomly around. 

The merciless rain beats down around them, leaving puddles that tint black and red with blood and the reflection of the dark sky. He picks up two ammo cartridges from the assorted corpses as the last of the Grineer go down, and tosses one to his squadmate as he returns to their makeshift defense point. "Strong silent type, huh? You specialize in defense missions, you said. Do you even enjoy them?" The question seems light, but the way the twitching frame scrutinizes him during it anything but.

The bulky frame catches the cartridge and looks it over, popping it open to reload the rifle. He shrugs at the character analysis. "It's easy to be strong and silent when there is not much to say. Should I take it that you're the anxious talker type, Sin'drion? I do not dislike defensive missions. They're almost... calming. At least compared to the chaos of an extermination or the complexity of a stealth mission. "

"No," He responds. "I am." Which is likely more confusing than intended. Sin'drion scolds him mentally for harassing the other Tenno, but they both know it won't stop him. 

The Rhino looks over its shoulders, and had it eyes they would have been questioning. Surely the strain of transference was getting to this one. Talthen prayed the extraction team would arrive sooner. He shakes his head, clearing his mind as he reaches the door. He places the Boltor on his back and takes the pose of a sprinter at the starting block. A clatter and some Grineer cursing on the other side of the door alert Talthen to the dismantling of the barricade. He stands and walks to the door, "Heads up. They're here too."

Nekros is holding the Tigris again, the aim of the dual barrels making a rolling arc as he lurches after the Rhino. There's not really time to clarify the statement as they both move to prepare for the next wave of Grineer. 

"When it opens, shoot a red barrel."

With a mechanical click and whir, the door opens. Two full squads of Grineer stand there with weapons leveled. Time seems to slow for Talthen. An inhale, long and deep, then an explosion. Feet thudding thunderously as he rushes into the enemy ranks. Bodies fall to the wayside as he plows through, goring one trooper's chestplate. He decelerates in three heavy steps, tossing the body down. His last step of the three lands with such force that the metal paneling crinkles like paper. Bodies and barricade pieces are tossed upward. He braces for what comes next.

Behind the Rhino, Nekros tosses the Tigris up and aside. Sin'drion catches it as she slides free of him with the ozone-crackle of transferance. She fires as instructed, shifting into the void as the slug leaves the gun. It doesn't stop the recoiling force of the shot from shattering her shoulder. It will heal.

The heat from the explosion whips Dakkai's binding and syandana wide around him. His hands are outstretched, and a wave of energy follows the charge, slamming into one of the raised Grineer. He doesn't know if it's truly the soul of the person that it hits, but either way, the energy slams into that one with enough force to stop his heart on contact. Poor bastard.

The blast encompasses Talthen. He sinks to a knee, the iron skin of his frame holding out, if only for a second more. With the explosion's heat dissipating from the area, a new one raises the temperature again. The Rhino draws a Heat Sword, glowing white hot, rain drops sizzling into steam as they land on it's blade. If a blade narta were to be ever used in a fight this would be one such instance. A crimson dervish that denied the area just beyond the door and made it a deadly location for any Grineer to be in.

Dakkai drags shadows from the bodies of the fallen, leaving him to finish off the ones still left, as frame and operator turn to face the group that had attempted to sneak up the again rising elevator. Sin'drion lets the comforting cloak of void fall away, the Tigris still wedged against her shoulder. 

"More incoming," Dakkai says, too calm for someone pulling out a blade and rushing into a fight. He drops low and skids forward, cleaving through the knees of several of the troops. Sin'drion makes a sound mimicking a teakettle, and unloads another round into a gunner who makes a break for one of the ramparts hinged on a ledge.

The muted sizzle and pop of flesh blistering under armor is the last noise made by this squadron of Grineer. The shadows were again unnerving, but otherwise ignored. What wasn't ignored was the fact that another operator had joined them, seemingly without a frame. As he stepped out of the rain and under the fersteel canopy, Talthen radioed Cephalon Bhett. "Have there been any updates on squad rosters? There seems to be a frameless Tenno here. Have there been any Orbiter or landing craft arrivals?" The trill of the Cephalon answered almost immediately. "No, Operator. There have been no additions to your squad. Nor have there been any Tenno arrivals in this sector. You must be mistaken."

Talthen shakes his head, the Rhino mimicking the motion. He approaches the shotgun wielding girl, planting himself between the Grineer and her, looking down at her. "Who are you? What are you doing here? If you do not have a frame I suggest you vacate the premises immediately. It is not safe here."

Sin'drion drops into the void and dashes aside to fire off another shot after reloading, absolutely using the Rhino as cover. Her shoulder makes a wet sound as the bones grind with gristle. She flicks her head, shaking wet hair from her face.

Dakkai embeds the sword in one Grineer, and them slams a hand into the face of another. The clone screams as he disintigrates, leavinv behind nothing but his ammo and credits. Shadows slam through the rest with weapons fire or melee. Another wave broken. Sin'drion stares blankly at the Rhino. Her expression is flat, even as she forces herself to reload again. She's tall for a Tenno, only a foot shorter than the massive Rhino who would normally absolutely dwarf most of them when frameless. And then she laughs, sort of. It's more like a quiet 'whuff' sound when she opens her mouth. With the others dealt with, Nekros returns. "You guys good? Did I miss something?"

The Rhino turns to the Nekros. "Ah. It seems we have an unexpected guest. My Cephalon has not notified me of an update to the squad roster. Nor has any Tenno vessel been registered arriving. I don't know where this one came from."  
He would step aside to give his assumed squadmate a better view, taking a different posture from the slightly hunched one he had taken to become her cover.

The Nekros laughs. "That is my operator?" He sounds confused, if only because Thalthen is confused. "Operator Sin'drion," He says again, and the Tenno bows. Sin'drion makes another sound approximating a laugh, and tosses the shotgun up and aside. She steps forward, fading into her frame as he catches the shotgun. "Dakkai, Orokin era Nekros," And then holsters the shotgun to make the same motion his operator had.

"Are you telling me you are an active Warframe without an Operator?" The Rhino stood slack, confusion evident in every aspect of its stance. "That's not possible."

He straightens up, mostly, shoulders still uneven and hips canted oddly, but certainly more upright than usual. "Yes." He tilts his head, and the binds that hang heavy from his wrists to the back of his head jangle and clank with the motion."Are you sure about that?" He shrugs, rolling a shoulder bonelessly, and then hisses in echo. "We Tenno all thought we were all just frames. Then we learned what we truly are. Did you never question further? The Lotus only gives tasks, never answers, operator Talthen. Perhaps you ought to seek your own instead of suffering blind belief," The words are softer, the tone altered, likely Sin'drion speaking through the frame.

Talthen is speechless. He does gather himself, however, wiping the confused cant from his posture. "Says one who also jumped to action at the Lotus's bidding. Let's just get this mission over with." Heavy steps pulled him back towards the door that had been barricaded. His rifle leveled, and eyes intent on anything in that direction that was not an anomalous frame and its operator. _Could there be more to it? Could frames have a sentience all their own? No that's impossible. Warframes are tools, weapons for the Tenno to wield. Perhaps it was two Operators sharing one frame? That must be it_.

"If the opportunity arises to protect a potential void sibling or their frame, I would take that chance. No matter who was offering the bait," They retort. The words husk from the frame in cracks. Dakkai shrugs sharply, and they settle a hand on the hilt of their blade. It won't be drawn until an enemy needs to be downed, but they are ready either way. "Believe what you choose, but know that it is not fact simply from the strength of your belief." She can offer nothing more, as Grineer pour free from the previous barricade and from the newly reraised elevator.

The words burned. The nettles of her tongue stuck deep, igniting embers in his brain. He wanted to retort. He wanted to snap. Instead, he took a breath. And let himself go. He let ego fade. He was nothing. He was empty. He was Void, and the Void could not catch fire. His actions lost excess. He stood stock still, as if he were a specter. His rifle firing into the center of mass of any Grineer he saw standing. Only when one or two got too close did he draw his molten blade and move from that spot. His hand to hand combat comprised of fluid blocks and throws. Another wave of soldiers dealt with. Another emptiness. He looked to the Nekros to assess how the wave from the elevator was faring.

Tenno and frame weave in tandem, blasts of void, bright and violent, tightened by her amp's prism, knocking Grineer prone only to be gunned down by shades or shotgun. She dodges stray bullets by twisting into the void like it's a second skin. 

They both turn, and Dakkai offers his new friend a cheeky little salute. The two bump shoulders, Sin'drion's unwounded one, before she fades through him back to her transference pod.

Talthen's only response is a terse nod. He takes the lapse in the assault to check on the cryopod. Stray bullets and blasts left pockmarks and scars on the surface, but it was otherwise untouched. He checked the HUD. The extraction team should be here any minute. Where were they? He scanned the sky with steady gaze. "Time's almost up." The Rhino's voice echoed to nobody in particular.

Dakkai seems to wilt, the frame sagging down to his much more normal half forward lean. Blood and ashes coat the frame from the dead and dying Grineer. He looks around and nods agreement at the statement. It takes another minute, a short blip from her Cephalon, to inform them that the party is inbound. 

The Nekros return to their target, and begins cracking lids off some of the supply barrels. "Even split, or do you want to pick and choose?" After all, they did have to get paid somehow. "Those three pressurized barrels are remarked, so it's kuva, not grokdrul." Well hidden, and it explains why this shipment was both short notice and such a priority if it was likely going to the fortress. "Looks like mining products and credits across the rest," They say. The words are still cracked and low, but softer. More intense.

Cephalon Bhett cooed in Talthen's ear the same message. He looked over the containers. "I would prefer an even split, but three does not divide evenly in two. How will we split the kuva barrels?" He was already sifting through the minerals and credits, dividing what he could as evenly as possible. His voice, as echoic as it was in Rhino's throat, was cooler now. There was an absentness that came from calculation.

The Nekros pauses in sifting through another crate. More rocks and credits. Boring. "These all seem about the same, if you'd just like to take two crates each. The fifth can be evened-" A pause, after prying off another lid with bony fingers.

Sin'drion parts from the frame with ease to handle the contents with more care. She lifts one of the tubes out, and inside is a carefully preserved flower. Her mouth moves, but it's only a strange sounding exhale. Dakkai steps closer, and rests a hand on her shoulder. She nods, and then repeats herself through Dakkai. "If you would be amenable, I would consider these samples even trade for you to have a second drum of kuva?" These were worth more to the right people, but those people were hard to find. This many samples could keep her supplied for a standard month for research. She lifts another tube, and the dusklight saracenia inside is a brilliant green color. Tenno and frame seem intent on the plants. If he pushes, it's likely she would easily cave with how obvious her want is.

The bulky frame moved to collect the two crates that were designated to be his, stopping as he saw the operator and frame separate and tandem once more. The verdant sample in her hands caught his eye, but he said nothing about it. She wanted these terribly, and who was he to deny that? He certainly had no need for the plants. The echo of her thought through the raspy voice of the Nekros was unsettling, however, and Talthen shivered in his somatic pot. "That is agreeable. Will you need assistance in transporting the crates into your dropship?" He looked over the fractured appearance of her frame. It was evident what he was looking at, though there was no malice in the action.

She returns the sample to the casing, and then heaves the lid back on herself. Sin'drion turns, resting a gloved hand against Nekros' chest plate. They seem to confer silently between eachother for a moment, and then she whuffs a laugh again. Dakkai nods, "If you're offering, we would gladly accept the assistance, friend. Th-" Tenno and frame both give pause, and then Dakkai points. "There's our extract team. Guess we should call our-" He flinches as the ship cephalon, biding her time for exactly this moment, shrieks in joy. 

Cephalon Shell's exuberant ' _Incoming!_ ' rings cheerily through their heads. Sin'drion disappears, likely to get the liset prepped for their incoming goodies. Dakkai rubs at his helmet, and then continues his previous thought. "Thanks. And- I know I look all banged up, but I'm alright, really. Perfectly serviceable for missions!"

"I do not doubt your mission readiness. I only offer to lessen the burden on one who seems to have been through quite a few trials already." Mentally he orders Cephalon Bhett to stagger extraction until after the cryopod and Sin'drion's spoils have been spirited away. No use in causing a jam. Much to his chagrin, his ship's cephalon is eager to wait if it means Talthen has "more time with his new friends." He rolls his eyes. He stoops to lift one of the Kuva barrels.

The landing area is just barely large enough for the secondary craft to land. The team needs no help in loading the pod, moving with a practiced ease that shows care in its efficiency. "Trials? Is that the polite way of saying Orokin torture and experimentation?" There's only mirth in the words, no malice, despite the bitterness of the memories.

The secondary ship, a liset in monochrome greys, balances carefully at the end of the ledge. Where normally a frame would simply mag to the drop port that spins up into the slot at the navigation console, this one had dropped open the ramp that would normally lead to the rest of the orbiter to allow for easier loading. The Tenno awaits just at the bottom, clutching a corpus based cleaning drone in her arms. It had likely been in the liset when it detached, and she was keeping it from escaping on accident. Dakkai starts shoving one of the crates towards the ship.

"It was the easiest way of naming unknown events of any negative impact. I would not presume to know of your history. Only that it has left you with wounds." With the Kuva hefted over one shoulder and held against his helmet. The Rhino lists to the side to grab a handhold on one of the mineral caches. Standing, he makes his way after the canting, cracked frame. If he was faster than Dakkai, he would await Sin'drion to direct where he should set the cargo. Mentally, he reminded himself that he needed a cleaning drone. The broom in his orbiter was just not cutting it anymore.

Dakkai would shrug if it wouldn't cause him to have to stop moving. "Another joke, friend. That one we all share, I'd guess. Just in different ways." She steps aside to allow them both to pass, still clutching the drone tightly. Plants decorate every flat surface of the lander that isn't the floor, which is where Dakkai shoves the first crate. "Wherever it'll fit over here, I guess. One we reconnect to the orbiter I'll just roll everything down the ramp again," He grumbles. The Nekros then weaves around the other to head back for the most important crate... He spends a few moments eyeing it, before shoving it along towards the lander like the other. The other ship, cryopod loaded, lifts to take off to... wherever it's going. 

Sin'drion had reentered the ship after the other two and was waiting patiently by the market's terminal. One the drum and crate were set down, she'd offer him a small chit. Contact information. The Tenno primarily used pilfered networks, piggybacking off of secondary signals and sending data to eachother that essentially hitched rides on bigger signals. There's a secondary symbol there, for the Larunda relay, and a number. Likely a meeting room that small groups, clans or just gatherings, could keep tabs on as a meeting point.

Talthen would take the chit in his left hand. It would be good to have her as a contact, especially if she knew about these active and empty frames. Her experience may come in handy. He cycled his parazon, deftly pressing the chit to the underside of the blade as it was retracted. This was a little trick he learned on an information retrieval mission once that had come in handy quite often, even if it was a bit uncomfortable. "I see why you were keen on obtaining those samples." Rhino's neuroptics scanned over the flora that covered the small craft. "A hobby of yours?"

She watches the motion, eyes curious but expression otherwise blank from the mottling of knife scars across her face. Sin'drion follows his gaze and the raises a hand, palm flat to the ground and tilts it side to side a few times. She pauses to set the cleaning drone upsidedown on the desk so it can't scurry off, then gestures at the market. 

A few swipes and the screen scrolls to a cross section of an Orokin ship and the somatic fibers that grow through it like a nerve system, coupled with scans of various plants and dna comparisons. She taps out a word on the keyboard meshed into the flat surface of the desk. _Research. Safety._

Dakkai scoots the crate into the ship and then dusts his hands off. Not that it does any good, considering he's trailing water and blood and gristle into the lander. "All set. You want help with yours, friend?"

Looking at the display, Talthen gathers the gist of the intellectual inquiry. He nods as she types out the words. "Interesting." As Dakkai speaks, he turns to face him. A palm-down hand wave emphasizes the words that come out of the Rhino, "No. I'll be fine on my own. It was... interesting... to meet you Operator Sin'drion... and Nekros Dakkai. May we meet again." With a short bow, he beat a hasty retreat back into the continuous rain of Ceres. His own landing craft descending to perch where the extraction team had been minutes before. He hurried to fill the dark blue, almost black, vessel with his gains. It would take a few trips, but would overall be rather quick. The ramp would be up before the others even departed.

They both nod, and Dakkai moves free of the ramp to let him pass after a quiet reiteration of the pleasantries. Their liset lifts, but doesn't engage its void cloak or disappear until the other is also off the landing. 'Curious,' She says to him through the link. 'He seemed disarmed and displeased with the revelation, but curious.'

Dakkai shrugs as the liset reconnects to their orbiter. He starts shoving the crates down the ramp as Sin'drion resets the cleaning drone on the floor for it to go back to work. 'Curious enough to ask questions, and maybe find his own answers,' He points out. Well. They'd have to wait and see. She'd keep an eye on her transmission feed, and the visit log for their meeting place in the relay.

* * *

"How was the mission, Operator?" Cephalon Bhett was always, it seemed, in a good mood, and this instance was no different. "Did you enjoy making new friends?"  
Even after storing the cargo and setting the Rhino to rest at the arsenal stand, Talthen would stay quiet, mulling over what he had learned. The frame that was conscious. The scarred girl that could not speak. The revelation that there is more than what he knows. Well, he always knew there was more to know. He just never had reason to ask the questions or seek the answers. In the matter of half of an hour, though, that had changed. When he broke his silence, it was to address his Cephalon. 

"Bhetty, I have research to do."


End file.
